Door for aircraft bodies



Feb s 1 H. DRIGGs DOOR FOR AIRCRAFT BODIES Filed Oct. 1 2 1921 2 Sheets-Sheetvl Invert-iur. wm/z '-nesses DRIGGS DooR FOR'AIRGRAFT BODIES Feb. Hl2 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12. 1921 fil-nessus @@Maq dm/ff Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

IVAN H. DnIGG's, or'DAY'roN, oHIo, AssrGNon To DAYTON-WRIGHT COMPANY, or

DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Doon ron AIRCRAFT Bovins.

Application led Gotober 12, 1921. Serial No. 507,238.

To all whom it ma ooqwem:

Be it known that ,IvAN H. Darcos, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, Vcounty of Montgomery, and

l State of Ohio,

and useful Improvements in Doors for Aircraft Bodies(Docket No. 38), of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to doors in braced structures and is especially adaptable to doors in the bodies of aircraft since in these structures it is of great importance that all main stress members be in effect continuous.

Among the objects of this invention is the provision of a door having means thereon for completing the out away section of a main stress member passing through the door way when the door is in closed position 2o and thus in effect rendering the stress mem-I ber continuous. l

Another object is to provide a quick latching means between the stress member section carried by the door and the main stress 2B member of the body wherebA tension as well as compressive stresses may fie carried across the door way. v l

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In'the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the door illustrating my invention in closed position and a portion ofthe fuselage of an airplane upon w ich the door is mounted.

Fig. 2 is a detail View of the door latch showing certain parts in 'longitudinal section. e

Fig. 3 is, an end `view of the part of the latch attached to the door.

Fig. 4 is an end view on a Fig. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail side and end view of the door stud. A

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of door latch l having a safety locking means and showing the same-in locked position.

have invented certain new projecting end of F Fi 8 is an end view of the doorlatch of Fig.'9 is a perspective view showing the side opposite that shown in Fig. 7.

In `the drawings similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.-

The numeral 10 represents the door in its entirety, which is hinged at the edge 11 to the side of the fuselage 12. The top longeron 13 of the fuselage is herein shown of metal tube construction and is cut away at the door way as shown. The door 10 has built therein a similar tubular section 14 which is -aligned with the longeron 13 when the door isin closed position. At the hinged side of the door the section 14 andthe longeron 13 have rigidly secured thereto, preferably by welding, the female and male hinge members 15 and 16. The hinge pin 17 fits snugly so that there will be no loose play when tension or compressive stresses areput upon the door.

At its other end the tubular section 14 has a quick detachable connection to the longeron In thel thereto by being inserted therein up to the f flange 21 and welded to the section 14. The stud 2() is provided with threads 22 for a portion of its length and grooves 23 spaced uniformly around the periphery thereof, said grooves being just slightly wider than the remaining threaded portions. The abutting end of the longeron 13 is likewise provided with a projecting stud 25, which may be rigidly attached thereto in the manner described for attaching stud 20 to tube 14. The projecting end of'stud 25 is of larger diameter than stud large scale off 20 and is provided with screw threads 26 .45. the rotatablesleeve of the latch.

'mg to the threaded and grooved portions of stud 20, fits over the stud 20 andis slidable thereon, the threads 32. running in grooves 23 and the threads 22 running in grooves 33. The sleeve has also a lar er diameter portion which is provided with threads 36 and grooves 37 corresponding to the threads 26 and longeron stud 25. Now when the sleeve 30 is slid to the right, as seen in F ig. 2, the threads 36 run in grooves 27 and threads 26 run in grooves 37. When sleeveI 30 has been slid to the right until the corresponding threads 22 and 32 are fully opposite one another the threads 36 will also be fully opposite threads 26, therefore upon the'rotation of sleeve 30 a fraction of a revolution these corresponding threads will engage and thus lock the section 14 to the longeron 13. Preferably I ,make the threads on stud20 of slightly smaller pitch than those` on lstud 25 so that when sleeve 30 is rotated the fractional part of. a revolution to bring the threaded segments in full mesh, the binding of the threads will give a very tight fit and thus avoid any loose play at the joint.

In order to get a smooth engagement of the threads I preferably offset the threaded portions so that one set of threads will engage slightly before the other set (see Figs. 4 and 3). Also the threads are beveled at their leading edges to facilitate their meshl, ing in case of a small variation inthe clear- I casing 40 which is rigidly secure ance between the studs 20 and 25. Preferably the movable sleeve 30 and studs 2O and 25 are all enclosed in a `stationar sleeve door by any suitable meansas by weldin or riveting. The sleeve 40 isiprovided wit a guide slot 41 (see Fig. 1) for the handle 42 of the movable sleeve 30. The sleeve 30 has also th'eweighted handle 43 extending oppositely from the-handle 42, as shown in ig. 3 and extending through a slot (not shown similar to the slot 41 in sleeve 40. This weighted handle is in its lower position when the threads are en ged and hence aids in preventing accidenta disengagement tied form of door of the latch. t l

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 I have shown a modilock in which the locking sleeve 30 is provided with a latch to positively prevent accidental disengagementof the sleeve. Immediately below the sleeve 30 there nism 50 which has the beveled spring latch 51 extending upwardly therefrom. The provided with a cooperating lug 52 which engages the spring latch 51 when the threads `of sleeve 30 are fully engagedh-and -thus prevents the opposite rotation of the sleeve. The back side of lug 52 is cammed as shownin FigL 8 during the clockwiserotatibn ofsleeve 30. The latch mechanism 50 has4 a release handle 53 by grooves 27 of the' to the is providedY the. spring latch necha' so that it will,r .automatically depress latch 51 1s desirable for preventing` any one from disengagihg sleeve 30 during Hight as Well as to prevent meddlers from opening the door or entering the cock pit when the aircraft is left unattended.

While I have shown a particular form of sliding bolt many other forms or variations of the illustrated form may be used with-my invention. -For instance, the "sleeve 30 and studs 20' and 25 may have cooperating lugs or cams instead of the screw threads shown, or there may be screw threads for engaging one of lthese studs gaging the other stud. Also instead of having a sleeve as thev rotatable and slidable member I may employ a rotatable and slidable bolt which will engagefemale threads in members substituted for studs 20 and 25 and in a manner similar tothe engagement of sleeve 30.

While the forms of chanism fherein and cams or lugs for en-v forms of embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the sco e of the claims which follow. v

What I claim is as follows:

\ 1. Any aircraft body having a stress member therein, a door in the body, said stress member having a section cut away at the door,- a brace carried by the/door to lie in alignment-withn the ends of saidstress member and' complete the cutaway section when `the door is closed, and hinge means and bolt means for securing the brace-to the stress" member, whereby the `stress, member is rendered continuous in effect, said hinge means .and bolt means lying in direct alignment wit-h said stress member.

2. A .door for aircraft means comprising a stud on the door, a sec- Aond stud on the door jamb and aligned with the first named stud when the door nis closed,

a sleeve slidable over the ends of the aligned studs and rotatable thereontoM studs in their aligned position.

3. A door for aircraft bodies and a quicklock said latching means therefor, said quick-latchingbodies and a quick-- latching means therefor, said quick-latching l stress member being cut away at the doorway, a tubular metal brace vcarried by the door and positioned to lie in'alignmentwith said stress member when the door is closed; and hinge means and bolt means aligned with said stress member for securing the 1 brace to the ends of said stress member to carry both tension and compression stresses through said member when the door is closed.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

IVAN H. DRIGGS.

Witnesses:

IRvIN A. GREENWALD, R. K. LEE. 

